Peekaboo

Peekaboo is a full macOS UI automation CLI: capture/inspect screens, target UI elements, drive input, and manage apps/windows/menus. Commands share a snapshot cache and support

--json

-j

for scripting. Run

peekaboo

peekaboo <cmd> --help

for flags;

peekaboo --version

prints build metadata. Tip: run via

polter peekaboo

to ensure fresh builds.

Features (all CLI capabilities, excluding agent/MCP)

Core

```
bridge
```
: inspect Peekaboo Bridge host connectivity
```
capture
```
: live capture or video ingest + frame extraction
```
clean
```
: prune snapshot cache and temp files
```
config
```
: init/show/edit/validate, providers, models, credentials
```
image
```
: capture screenshots (screen/window/menu bar regions)
```
learn
```
: print the full agent guide + tool catalog
```
list
```
: apps, windows, screens, menubar, permissions
```
permissions
```
: check Screen Recording/Accessibility status
```
run
```
: execute
```
.peekaboo.json
```
scripts
```
sleep
```
: pause execution for a duration
```
tools
```
: list available tools with filtering/display options

Interaction

```
click
```
: target by ID/query/coords with smart waits
```
drag
```
: drag & drop across elements/coords/Dock
```
hotkey
```
: modifier combos like
```
cmd,shift,t
```
```
move
```
: cursor positioning with optional smoothing
```
paste
```
: set clipboard -> paste -> restore
```
press
```
: special-key sequences with repeats
```
scroll
```
: directional scrolling (targeted + smooth)
```
swipe
```
: gesture-style drags between targets
```
type
```
: text + control keys (
```
--clear
```
, delays)

System

```
app
```
: launch/quit/relaunch/hide/unhide/switch/list apps
```
clipboard
```
: read/write clipboard (text/images/files)
```
dialog
```
: click/input/file/dismiss/list system dialogs
```
dock
```
: launch/right-click/hide/show/list Dock items
```
menu
```
: click/list application menus + menu extras
```
menubar
```
: list/click status bar items
```
open
```
: enhanced
```
open
```
with app targeting + JSON payloads
```
space
```
: list/switch/move-window (Spaces)
```
visualizer
```
: exercise Peekaboo visual feedback animations
```
window
```
: close/minimize/maximize/move/resize/focus/list

Vision

```
see
```
: annotated UI maps, snapshot IDs, optional analysis

Global runtime flags

```
--json
```
/
```
-j
```
,
```
--verbose
```
/
```
-v
```
,
```
--log-level <level>
```
```
--no-remote
```
,
```
--bridge-socket <path>
```

Quickstart (happy path)

bash

peekaboo permissions
peekaboo list apps --json
peekaboo see --annotate --path /tmp/peekaboo-see.png
peekaboo click --on B1
peekaboo type "Hello" --return

Common targeting parameters (most interaction commands)

App/window:

--app

--pid

--window-title

--window-id

--window-index

Snapshot targeting:
```
--snapshot
```
(ID from
```
see
```
; defaults to latest)
Element/coords:
```
--on
```
/
```
--id
```
(element ID),
```
--coords x,y
```

Focus control:

--no-auto-focus

--space-switch

--bring-to-current-space

--focus-timeout-seconds

--focus-retry-count

Common capture parameters

Output:
```
--path
```
,
```
--format png|jpg
```
,
```
--retina
```

Targeting:

--mode screen|window|frontmost

--screen-index

--window-title

--window-id

Analysis:
```
--analyze "prompt"
```
,
```
--annotate
```

Capture engine:

--capture-engine auto|classic|cg|modern|sckit

Common motion/typing parameters

Timing:
```
--duration
```
(drag/swipe),
```
--steps
```
,
```
--delay
```
(type/scroll/press)
Human-ish movement:
```
--profile human|linear
```
,
```
--wpm
```
(typing)

Scroll:

--direction up|down|left|right

--amount <ticks>

--smooth

Examples

See -> click -> type (most reliable flow)

bash

peekaboo see --app Safari --window-title "Login" --annotate --path /tmp/see.png
peekaboo click --on B3 --app Safari
peekaboo type "user@example.com" --app Safari
peekaboo press tab --count 1 --app Safari
peekaboo type "supersecret" --app Safari --return

Target by window id

bash

peekaboo list windows --app "Visual Studio Code" --json
peekaboo click --window-id 12345 --coords 120,160
peekaboo type "Hello from Peekaboo" --window-id 12345

Capture screenshots + analyze

bash

peekaboo image --mode screen --screen-index 0 --retina --path /tmp/screen.png
peekaboo image --app Safari --window-title "Dashboard" --analyze "Summarize KPIs"
peekaboo see --mode screen --screen-index 0 --analyze "Summarize the dashboard"

Live capture (motion-aware)

bash

peekaboo capture live --mode region --region 100,100,800,600 --duration 30 \
  --active-fps 8 --idle-fps 2 --highlight-changes --path /tmp/capture

App + window management

bash

peekaboo app launch "Safari" --open https://example.com
peekaboo window focus --app Safari --window-title "Example"
peekaboo window set-bounds --app Safari --x 50 --y 50 --width 1200 --height 800
peekaboo app quit --app Safari

Menus, menubar, dock

bash

peekaboo menu click --app Safari --item "New Window"
peekaboo menu click --app TextEdit --path "Format > Font > Show Fonts"
peekaboo menu click-extra --title "WiFi"
peekaboo dock launch Safari
peekaboo menubar list --json

Mouse + gesture input

bash

peekaboo move 500,300 --smooth
peekaboo drag --from B1 --to T2
peekaboo swipe --from-coords 100,500 --to-coords 100,200 --duration 800
peekaboo scroll --direction down --amount 6 --smooth

Keyboard input

bash

peekaboo hotkey --keys "cmd,shift,t"
peekaboo press escape
peekaboo type "Line 1\nLine 2" --delay 10

Notes

Requires Screen Recording + Accessibility permissions.
Use
```
peekaboo see --annotate
```
to identify targets before clicking.

peekaboo

NPX Install

Tags

SKILL.md Content

Peekaboo

Features (all CLI capabilities, excluding agent/MCP)

Quickstart (happy path)

Common targeting parameters (most interaction commands)

Common capture parameters

Common motion/typing parameters

Examples

See -> click -> type (most reliable flow)

Target by window id

Capture screenshots + analyze

Live capture (motion-aware)

App + window management

Menus, menubar, dock

Mouse + gesture input

Keyboard input